Massachusetts Zone 4N: deer harvest, antlerless permits, 2026 seasons and public land
Massachusetts's Wildlife Management Zone 4N covers 435 square miles of Franklin and Hampshire counties. Hunters took 727 deer there in 2025, up from 612 in 2024, against a ten-year average of 600; 472 were adult males. 11.1% of the zone is public land, the largest share MassWildlife (Fish and Game) land (17,838 acres).
Data updated October 2026. Harvest: MassWildlife 2025 Deer Harvest Summary. Seasons: MassWildlife deer hunting regulations (2026 dates). Land: MassGIS and PAD-US.
MassWildlife (Fish and Game) landState forest and park land (DCR)DCR watershed land (Quabbin, Wachusett, Ware River)National wildlife refugeArmy Corps of EngineersZone 4NNeighboring zonesHighway
| Size | 435 square miles |
|---|---|
| Public land | 11.1% (30,973 acres) |
| Deer taken, 2025 | 727 (472 adult males, 234 females, 21 male fawns) |
| Deer taken, 2024 | 612 |
| Average, 2016 to 2025 | 600 a year |
| Deer taken per square mile, 2025 | 1.67 (deer taken divided by the zone's area) |
| Antlerless permits, 2023 | 800 allocated |
| MassWildlife's direction for the herd | Stabilize |
| Extra seasons, 2026 | None beyond the statewide seasons |
| Wildlife management areas | Hiram H. Fox, Fox Den, Satan's Kingdom, Great Swamp |
How many deer are taken in Zone 4N each year?
727 in 2025, 115 more than in 2024. Over the ten seasons below the zone peaked at 727 in 2025 and was lowest at 526 in 2019. Adult males made up 64.9% of the 2025 harvest, against 53.7% statewide.
| Year | Adult males | Females | Male fawns | All deer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 472 | 234 | 21 | 727 |
| 2024 | 394 | 203 | 15 | 612 |
| 2023 | 439 | 126 | 16 | 581 |
| 2022 | 522 | 127 | 9 | 658 |
| 2021 | 448 | 114 | 12 | 574 |
| 2020 | 461 | 132 | 18 | 611 |
| 2019 | 389 | 125 | 12 | 526 |
| 2018 | 456 | 154 | 16 | 626 |
| 2017 | 425 | 95 | 19 | 539 |
| 2016 | 434 | 95 | 18 | 547 |
Sources: MassWildlife 2025 Deer Harvest Summary; MassWildlife 2024 Deer Harvest Summary; MassWildlife 2023 Deer Harvest Summary; MassWildlife 2022 Deer Harvest Summary; MassWildlife 2021 Deer Harvest Summary; MassWildlife 2020 Deer Harvest Summary; MassWildlife 2019 Deer Harvest Summary; MassWildlife 2018 Deer Harvest Summary; MassWildlife 2017 Deer Harvest Summary; MassWildlife 2016 Deer Harvest Summary. Each year's zone rows add up to the summary's statewide row (the 2024 summary prints 8,081 adult males statewide; its zone rows add to 8,091).
Which seasons gave Zone 4N's 2025 deer?
| Season | Deer, 2025 | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Youth and paraplegic | 12 | 1.7% |
| Archery | 263 | 36.2% |
| Shotgun | 343 | 47.2% |
| Primitive firearms | 109 | 15% |
Source: MassWildlife 2025 Deer Harvest Summary, harvest by season and zone. The winter season of January and February 2026 is counted with the 2025 season.
How many antlerless permits does Zone 4N get?
MassWildlife allocated 800 antlerless deer permits for Zone 4N in 2023. Its management direction for the zone's deer is "Stabilize". Hunters apply by July 16 and may take one antlerless deer per permit, in the permit's zone only.
| Year | Antlerless permits allocated |
|---|---|
| 2023 | 800 |
| 2022 | 800 |
| 2021 | 600 |
| 2020 | 600 |
| 2019 | 600 |
| 2018 | 500 |
| 2017 | 375 |
| 2016 | 375 |
Sources: MassWildlife 2016 Deer Harvest Summary; MassWildlife 2017 Deer Harvest Summary; MassWildlife 2018 Deer Harvest Summary; MassWildlife 2019 Deer Harvest Summary; MassWildlife 2020 Deer Harvest Summary; MassWildlife 2021 Deer Harvest Summary; MassWildlife 2022 Deer Harvest Summary, antlerless deer permit allocation tables. Later summaries no longer print the table.
When are the 2026 deer seasons in Zone 4N?
| Season | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Youth deer hunt | October 2 and 3 | Youth deer hunt permit, ages 12 to 17 |
| Archery | October 5 to November 28 | Archery stamp |
| Paraplegic hunt | October 29 to 31 | By permit |
| Shotgun | November 30 to December 12 | No stamp needed |
| Primitive firearms | December 14 to 31 | Primitive firearms stamp |
An antlered deer has at least one antler 3 inches long; licensed hunters may take two a year statewide. Shotguns no larger than 10 gauge are allowed only in shotgun season, muzzleloaders of .44 to .775 caliber in primitive season, and rifles and handguns may not be used on deer.
Source: MassWildlife deer hunting regulations (2026 dates).
How much public land is in Zone 4N?
11.1% of Zone 4N is public land: 30,973 of its 278,355 acres. The largest share is MassWildlife (Fish and Game) land, 17,838 acres. MassWildlife says all of its WMAs are open to hunting; DCR forests and watershed lands have their own rules.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Zone 4N |
|---|---|---|
| MassWildlife (Fish and Game) land | 17,838 | 6.4% |
| State forest and park land (DCR) | 9,669 | 3.5% |
| Army Corps of Engineers | 3,323 | 1.2% |
| National wildlife refuge | 143 | 0.1% |
Measured by FilledTag inside the zone line from MassGIS Protected and Recreational OpenSpace for state and Army Corps land; USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US 4.1) for federal land.
Wildlife management areas in Zone 4N
| WMA | Acres in Zone 4N | Town |
|---|---|---|
| Hiram H. Fox | 3,858 | Chester, Chesterfield, Huntington, Worthington |
| Fox Den | 2,928 | Chester, Middlefield, Worthington |
| Satan's Kingdom | 2,529 | Bernardston, Northfield |
| Great Swamp | 897 | Deerfield, Hatfield, Whately |
| Tower Brook | 808 | Worthington, Chesterfield |
| Leyden | 785 | Leyden |
| Poland Brook | 783 | Ashfield, Conway |
| Oak Hill | 723 | Chesterfield |
| Fisk Meadows | 621 | Chesterfield |
| Green River | 598 | Colrain, Greenfield, Leyden |
| Ram Hill | 548 | Chesterfield |
| Mt. Esther | 477 | Conway, Whately |
| Brewer Brook | 464 | Chesterfield, Williamsburg, Westhampton |
| Whately | 416 | Whately |
| Knightville Dam | 378 | Huntington |
| Lilly Pond | 367 | Chesterfield, Goshen |
| Williamsburg | 319 | Williamsburg |
| Flagg Mountain | 288 | Conway |
| Cummington | 214 | Cummington |
| Bennett Meadows | 201 | Northfield |
| Shattuck Brook | 177 | Bernardston, Leyden |
| Hinsdale Brook | 51 | |
| Darwin Scott | 27 | Bernardston |
Which zones border Zone 4N?
| Zone | Square miles | Deer, 2025 | Adult males, 2025 | Public land |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 2 | 582 | 617 | 492 | 25.6% |
| Zone 4S | 409 | 479 | 361 | 9.3% |
| Zone 5 | 589 | 917 | 541 | 22.9% |
| Zone 7 | 398 | 945 | 497 | 7% |
Highways crossing Zone 4N: I-91 (60 miles), MA 10 (31 miles), US 5 (31 miles), MA 112 (30 miles), MA 2 (22 miles) and MA 9 (20 miles). Towns inside: Ashfield, Conway, Northampton and Deerfield.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were taken in Massachusetts Zone 4N in 2025?
727: 472 adult males, 234 females and 21 male fawns (MassWildlife 2025 Deer Harvest Summary). By season: 263 archery, 343 shotgun, 109 primitive firearms and 12 youth and paraplegic. In 2024 the zone gave 612.
When is deer season in Zone 4N in 2026?
Archery October 5 to November 28, shotgun November 30 to December 12 and primitive firearms December 14 to 31; the youth hunt is October 2 and 3. (MassWildlife deer hunting regulations (2026 dates))
Can you get an antlerless deer permit for Zone 4N?
MassWildlife allocated 800 antlerless permits for Zone 4N in 2023, the last year its harvest summaries print, with the direction "Stabilize" (MassWildlife 2022 Deer Harvest Summary). Hunters apply by July 16; where demand is lower than the allocation, surplus permits go on sale in late September.
What counts as an antlered deer in Massachusetts?
A deer with at least one antler 3 inches or longer. Licensed hunters may take two antlered deer a year in any zone; any deer without antlers or with antlers under 3 inches needs an antlerless permit for the zone (MassWildlife deer hunting regulations (2026 dates)).
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Where these numbers come from
- Harvest: MassWildlife deer harvest data; MassWildlife Deer Harvest Summaries, 2016 to 2025.
- Seasons and rules: MassWildlife deer hunting regulations (2026 dates).
- Zone boundary: MassWildlife Wildlife Management Zones (MassGIS). Public land: MassGIS Protected and Recreational OpenSpace for state and Army Corps land; USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US 4.1) for federal land.
- Highways and towns: U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 primary and secondary roads; U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer, towns (county subdivisions).
FilledTag is not part of Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife). Numbers are copied from MassWildlife, MassGIS and federal sources or measured from their maps; nothing on this page is estimated by FilledTag.